System of electrical distribution



2 Sheets8heet 1.

(No Model.)

. E. W. RICE, Jr. SYSTEM OF ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION.

No. 539,446. Patented May 21, 1895.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. W. RICE, Jr. SYSTEM OF ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION. N0.'539,44 6. Patented May 21, 1895.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDTVIN IVILBUR RICE, JR., OF SWVAMPSCOTT, ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SYSTEM OF ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 589,446, dated May 21, 1895.

Application filed May 24, 1893. Serial N0.475,356. (N model.)

T0 all 11171107771 it m y 0071007219: carrying out my invention. Fig. 2 is a dia- Be 1t known that I, EDWIN TVILBUR RICE, gram showing in detail the switches and cross Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at connection. 55

Swampscott, in the county of Essex and State Referring to Fig. 1, the generating station 5 of Massachusetts, have invented a new and A is connected to the receiving station B by useful Improvement in Systems of Electrical the two circuits formed respectively of the Distribution, of which the following is a speci wires a, Z), c, and d, e,f, said circuits reprefication. senting a three phase system, although it is 60 Myinvention relates to systems of electrical obvious that the ordinary three wire system distribution in which power is transmitted by might be employed in the same manner. means of currents of very high potential, and These two circuits may be carried on onelino its principal object is to provide means whereof poles, if desired, but it is essential that by sections of the circuit may be cut out, they be some distance from each other so as 6 when necessary, so that repairs can be made to minimize the danger of accidental cross- I 5 without danger of injury by shock to the connections between them. It is preferable workmen. however, to have them carried on separate In systems of the kind to which my invenlines of poles, as shown in Fig. 1, as they can tion especially applies, it is customary to carry in this way be placed so far apart as to render 7o currents over a main circuit from a generatsuch danger practically ml. The breaks in ing or power station, to a receiving station, the line at X, Y, X, Y, and X Y represent where it is fed to transformers or motor genthe ends of sections into which the line is di erators, and thence to the work circuit. My vided. If for example, there were need of invention is particularly adapted to circuits repairs upon that section of the circuit a,b, c, 7 such as these, or others carrying currents of between the power station A and the break high potential where the element of danger X, Y at the end of the said section that porin handling the wires is very considerable. tion of the circuit could be cut out by suit- In carrying out my invention, I provide inable switches, and the section between the stead of a single circuit between the generatpower station and the break X, Y comprising 80 ing and receiving stations, two or more cirthe circuit d, e,f, can be connected across to 0 cuits connected in multiple. It is obvious the circuit cal), 0, so that the current between that with this arrangement either circuit may the generating stations and the point X, Y be cut out entirely, it repairs are necessary could be carried over the wires (Z, c, f, and therein, while the entire current can meanfrom X, Y by means of cross-connections over 85 while be carried over the remaining circuit. the lines a, Z), c and d, e, fin multiple to the In case, however, the distance between the receiving station. \Vith the current thus generating and receiving stationsis considerdivided at X, Y and carried in multiple over able, as is usual in such systems as the one the two circuits, the only portion of the enherein described,it is obvious that if the full tire main circuit left idle is that portion of current were to be carried on a single circuit the wires a, b, 0, included in the first section 0 where two circuits in multiple are normally between the generating station A and the employed, the line losses would be great. I point X Y. therefore divide up the said circuits into sec- Referring to Fig. 2, generators C feed curtions of suitable length, and provide switches rent into the bus bars g, h, 2, and from these 5 and cross connections whereby the two cirbus-bars two circuits are led out comprising cuits can be connected so that except for the the wires a, Z), c, and (Z, e,f, respectively, concut out section, the multiple circuit can still nected in multiple. These circuits in turn be employed. As a still further safe-guard connect with the bus-bars j, 70, Z, at the receivadditionalswitches are provided whereby the ing station which feed the motor generators IOO section cut out can be grounded at either or D. Switches E, E connect the said circuits both ends. a, ll, 0, and cl, e,f, to the bus bars g, 7t, i, and

In the accompanying drawings, Figurel is corresponding switches E E at the other a diagram showing the circuits employed in end of said circuits connect them to the bus- Lin - bars 3,70, Z, leading to the motor generators.

If the arrangement were simply this it is obvious that either circuit might be entirely out out pending repairs on the other. For the reasons above stated, however, this is undesirable, and the circuit is therefore divided up into sections connected together by switches E and E corresponding to the switches E, E, E E aforesaid. In addition to the said switches E and E cross connections between the two circuits comprising the wires m, n, 0, and p, q '1', respectively, are provided, and a double switch E normally open, is adapted to make the desired connections. The operation of the said crossconnections and switch E is as follows: If, for example, repairs are to be made in that section of the circuit which is between the switches E, and E the said switches are opened, as shown in thedrawings, while the switch E, is thrown to the left, so as to connect the terminals m n o of the wires m, n, 0, respectively to the terminals d e f of the wires d, e, f. The circuit is then as follows: Bus-bars g, h, i, to wires a, b, 0, through closed switch E, to wires m, n, 0, where it divides, half continuing over wires a, b, a, through closed switches E and E to the busbars j, is, Z, and motors D, and half through wires m, n, 0, and switch E to wires d, e, f, and closed switch E to bus-bars j, is, Z, and motors. If the other part of the same section of the circuit is to be cut out, the switches E and E are opened, while switches E, E, E and E are closed. The switch E 'now being thrown to the right so as to connect the terminals d, c, f respectively to the terminals 19, q, r, the circuit can be traced as before; that is, from the generators O to the switch E over the'single circuit comprising the wires (1, e, f, and thence over both circuits in multiple to the motors D. As an additional safe guard it is desirable to ground the ends of the circuits thus cut out, and for this purpose switches F, F, F F are provided. It now that section of the circuit between the switches E and E is cut out by opening said switches, the switch terminals F and F leading to ground through wires G and G are connected respectively to the terminals or, b, c, and the terminals a b 0 of the wires a,b, c, at the ends of the section, thereby grounding the said section, and completely obviating the possibility of current flowing therein. The function of the ground terminals F and F are obviously the same, and require no further explanation.

When the circuit is in its normal condition, the switches E, E, E E E and E are all closed, while the cross-connection switch E and the ground switch terminals F, F, F and F are all in neutral positions, as shown in the drawings. The circuit then flows in multiple over the sets of wires a, b, c, and cl, e,f, from the bus bars g, h, 2', to the bus bars j, is, Z.

In the drawings, but one system of crossconnections is shown, as if the line were divided into two sections only; but it is obvious that there maybe any number of sections desired. If, for example, instead of the simple connection at the switches E andE there were cross-connections similar to those shown in connection with switches E and E the method of cutting out the intermediate section would be the same as above described, it being necessary only to operate the cross connection switch at the other end of the section corresponding to the switch E, in addition to the switch E itself.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A system of electrical distribution, comprising separate circuits connected in multiple, switches at intervals along said circuits whereby sections of any of said circuits may be open circuited, and cross connections around said, open-circuited sections, whereby the remaining sections of the circuit containing said open-circuited section may be connected in multiple with the other circuits as described.

2. A system of electrical distribution for high potential currents, comprising two separate circuits connected in multiple, switches at intervals along each of said circuits whereby sections of either may be cut out, normally open-circuited cross-connections between sections on one circuit and consecutive sections on the other, and switches in said cross-connections, whereby the same may be closed-circuited and the two circuits connected in multiple at either or both ends of the open-circuited section, as described.

3. In a system of electrical distribution, a main circuit comprising two circuits connected in multiple, switches at intervals along said circuits, whereby said main circuit is divided into sections, normally open cross-connections respectively connectingthe circuits in one of said sections with the opposite circuits in the next section, a two-way switch whereby either of said cross connections may be closed-circuited, and ground terminals at the ends of said sections adapted to be connected to either of said circuits, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4.. In a system of electrical distribution by alternating currents of very high potential, a generating station of said currents, a receiving station where such currents are transformed to lower potential and then distributed over local supplying circuits, multiple main circuits supported upon separate or individual pole structures connecting said stations, main line switches for cutting out of circuit sections of one or the other of said main circuits, and means for connecting the cut-out sections of the mains to earth, as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of May, 1893.

EDWIN WILBUR RICE, JR.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. GIBBONEY, BENJAMIN B. HULL. 

